Can You Freeze Injera?

Can you freeze injera? Injera is a type of Ethiopian sourdough-risen flatbread. This bread is typical in the East African region and is traditionally eaten with stews, soups, and salads.

Injera – which is the national dish of Ethiopia and Eritrea – is an incredibly thin bread yet has a spongy texture and mild flavor. This type of bread is quite rare so if you found some in your local supermarket and you love flatbread, stock up on injera! Of course, you can also make your own injera using teff flour and a skillet.

Injera does turn moldy much more quickly than other flatbreads so it must be stored properly. It is possible to retain the soft, chewy texture of the flatbread as long as you prepped the injera prior to storage.

When kept at room temperature, injera could keep fresh for up to 2 to 3 days only. In the fridge, injera is safe to eat for up to 7 days. And when frozen, it will keep fresh for 2 to 3 months. However, we recommend consuming the flatbread as soon as possible even when it’s frozen. The longer the injera is kept in the freezer, the higher the chances of texture and flavor change.

If say, you overestimated the amount of flatbread you bought, here is a step by step guide on how can you freeze injera:

How to Freeze Injera?

Depending on the state of the injera, there are different ways to prep the flatbread prior to freezing.

Freezing Unopened Injera

If the flatbread’s packaging is unopened, you can simply stick the injera into the freezer as is. Just make sure to label the product with the storage date.

Freezing Homemade Injera

For homemade injera, leave the flatbread to cool for an hour or two on a cooling rack prior to freezing. Then, wrap the injera in tin foil.

Wrapping the bread in aluminum foil, there should never be a spot exposed or the bread won’t freeze properly. Water crystals will form into exposed bread and this will affect the shelf life and texture of the injera once it’s been defrosted. Once wrapped, stick the bread in the freezer.

Freezing Leftover Injera

To prep leftover and/or homemade injera, wrap each flatbread in cling wrap or aluminum foil completely but layer a sheet of wax paper on each bread. This will keep the injera from sticking to one another as it freezes.

After wrapping the bread in protective cling wrap or aluminum foil, place the whole thing in a freezer-safe, resealable plastic bag. Squeeze as much air as possible before sealing. Get a marker, label the product with the storage date, and stick in the freezer.

How to Defrost and Reheat Injera?

Defrosting the Injera

Injera is easy to defrost but do so gradually so the texture and taste won’t change at all. To thaw injera, transfer the frozen flatbread from the freezer and onto the kitchen counter. Do not put the frozen injera in the fridge because once you reheat the flatbread, it becomes dry and tasteless.

Once the injera has been thawed for an hour or so, get several damp paper towels. Place the paper towels on top of the injera and then stick the flatbread in the microwave to reheat. The damp paper towels will protect the injera from heat while also keeping it moist as it is heated.

Once you’re done reheating, you can now serve and enjoy this delicious flatbread. You can also reheat the injera in oven toasters for a minute or two, depending on how you like your flatbread.

Summary

There’s no doubt about it, injera is one of the best types of flatbreads to use for stews and saucy dishes. The flatbread has a mouthwatering smoky flavor that’s totally unique and delicious! Now that you know how can you freeze injera, you can store more of your favorite flatbread for future meals.